There’s a new trend spreading among moms-to-be, and it’s all the rage these days. Nesting parties are popping up as a potentially better, more relaxed and way more practical alternative to baby showers. And many parents are loving it!
Mom Nia Lui, aka @nialui21, aka Nia Mullet Mom, recently went viral on TikTok after sharing just how wholesome and friendly nesting parties can be. And the internet fell in love with the idea! Scroll down for Nia’s full video, as well as to read how people reacted to it.
Bored Panda reached out to Nia and she was kind enough to tell us a bit more about the video and shared some great advice for expectant mothers who are overwhelmed with everything. You’ll find our full interview with the mom as you read on!
Many people know about baby showers, however, they're not aware that there's an alternative
Image credits: Kampus Production (not the actual photo)
One mom enlightened TikTok about nesting parties—something that many parents might genuinely prefer
"So I had my nesting party last night instead of a baby shower, and it was amazing."
Image source: nialui21
"My friend Bree organized it. I sent her a list of things that I wanted to get done before the baby came and she made little cards for each person to take on a section of the house."
Image source: nialui21
Image source: nialui21
Image source: nialui21
"I kind of took on more of a supervisory role, kind of telling people where I wanted things and what I wanted to do with things."
Image source: nialui21
Image source: nialui21
Image source: nialui21
Image source: nialui21
"And then we took a dinner break, ate some soup, some sourdough bread and treats and just chatted about this baby and how it's going to be and then we got straight back to work."
Image source: nialui21
Image source: nialui21
Image source: nialui21
"Everything was so clean and organized and I feel so much more ready for this baby."
Image source: nialui21
"And everyone brought freezer meals for me for postpartum and it was so much fun. I highly recommend a nesting party if you're getting ready for a baby."
Image source: nialui21
You can watch Nia's full viral clip over here
Nia told us that she didn’t expect her video to take off like that. “I think it resonates with moms so much because preparing for a baby can be so overwhelming. And to see women come together to help another woman prepare for that touched a lot of hearts,” she shared her thoughts with Bored Panda via email.
“We all say it takes a village, but to actually see the village in action, and how it affects others is really eye-opening.” The mom drew attention to the fact that a lot of the women in the comments of her video said that they’d much rather attend a party where they’re helpful to the mother, rather than just bring her a gift.
“It is the year of women supporting women and I think we’re all looking for ways to help our friends. And the nesting party is a great and easy way to know how to do that,” Nia said.
We were curious to get the mom’s take on why baby showers are still so popular among parents. She told us that this might be because they’re simply the norm.
“That’s what women have been doing for years and years. And it’s almost what is expected. I don’t know if a lot of people know that there are alternatives that exist. But I think knowing the alternatives may change the way that we go about helping expectant mothers prepare for motherhood.”
Nia was happy to share some advice for moms-to-be who are feeling overwhelmed by it all. She told Bored Panda that it’s vital to not be afraid to ask for help.
“You would be surprised at how willing and ready people are to help you. We all love to serve each other, but sometimes we aren’t sure how to do so. So reach out when you need help, don’t be too proud,” the mom urged.
“Having a baby is very difficult even if it is what we want most. It can be lonely and isolating and exhausting. But to be surrounded by people that are willing to help can make a huge difference. So allow them to help you.”
Nia pointed out that she knows that not everyone is surrounded by people as supportive as she is. “I just want to say that I know that I am not the norm. I am extremely blessed and extremely privileged to have the people that I do surrounding me and supporting me, I genuinely wish that every expectant mother and mother, in general, would have the kind of support that I do,” she said.
“It has made a world of difference not only physically, but with my mental health as well. Everyone needs support.”
The mom later answered more questions about nesting parties in a follow-up video
Mom Nia and her husband were expecting their third child when she filmed the video. It seems like in the few days since then, she has already given birth. Congratulations to the family!
At the time of writing, Nia’s clip had over 1 million views, and it made a huge splash not just on TikTok but in the media as well. It appears that there are far more people who are tired of the rigidity and pressure of baby showers than you’d think.
During the party, Nia’s friends cleaned her home and brought her freezer meals. This was the practical and wholesome help that the mom needed, instead of being at the center of attention and forced to play random games—something she dislikes.
On the surface, nesting parties and baby showers might seem similar, but they have completely different atmospheres and energy.
Nesting parties are more low-key and focus on practical help for the parents before the baby comes. From doing some housework and finishing setting up the nursery to food preparation and installing the car seats and the changing station.
Baby showers, on the other hand, are far more formal and focus on the ‘party’ aspect a bit more. They usually have a theme, lots of decorations, plenty of entertainment, and tons of snacks. Baby showers also tend to have far more guests than nesting parties would.
Naturally, expectant parents should pick the option that appeals to them the most. It’s important to be honest with yourself what kind of support and activities you actually want—not just what you think your family and friends will value the most.
Of course, if you can’t make up your mind, it’s always possible to merge the two ideas together. You can have a baby shower that involves a lot of the practical help elements that you’d find in nesting parties.
The mom-to-be shouldn’t be doing any chores on the day of the party. However, she can take the time to organize things. She can make a list of guests and prepare a list of tasks before everyone arrives. She can then delegate these tasks and manage everyone on the day-of, or she can ask a friend to take over that role.
The goal is to enjoy yourself in the company of friends as you’re checking all the dozens of boxes of the things still left to do before the baby comes. It’ll make things far easier for the family when their new baby finally arrives.
Many internet users were amazed by how great an idea nesting parties are. Here's what some TikTokers said
